Loom



Dec. 10, 1946. s. P. PARKER LOOM Filed May 1, 1945 5 Sheets Sheet 2 Y I mvsm'on.

SAMUEL I? PARKER I BvPamltdkmlmh-hk ATTORNEYS S. P. PARKE R LOOM Dec. 10, 1946.

I Filed May 1, 1945 5 Sheets- Sheet I5 INYENTOR Dec. 10, 1946. s. P. PAIIRKER I LOOM Filed May 1 1945 5 Sheets-sheaf. 4

FIG. 6

9mm; Z440. 5

ATTORNEYS Dec. 10, 1946. I s, PARKER 2,412,355

LQOM

' Filed May 1, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Pia. a

0 P In veu'ron.

\ SAMuILL. R ALM-.1

ATTo a. :ys

Patented D... 10, 1946 LOOM Samuel P. Parker, La Grange, 6a., assignor to Callaway Mills, La Grange, Ga.,- a corporation of Georgia Application May 1, 1945, Serial No. 591,287

This invention relates to looms in which warp yarns are manipulated by discs or cards to form sheds into which filling yarn is inserted to produces fabric. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a novel structure in which the discs are supported in spaced relation and driven in positive timed relation to other parts of the loom. The new structure offer advantages over prior disc assemblies, in that it is of simpler constructionand, in its preferred form, it permits easy removal and replacement of the discs, as, for example, when achange is to be made in the number of warp yarns in the fabric.

, In disc looms, each disc has openings for the passage of a plurality, cs warp yarns which are raised and lowered alternately to form sheds as the disc rotates. Since in the operation of the discs, the yarns move up and down across the faces thereof; the discs must be supported and driven at their peripheries, and adjacent discs in the loom must be kept separated to permit free movement of the yarns between them.

In disc looms disclosed in prior patents, various expedients have been proposed for supporting and driving the discs and keeping them sepadditional disc endwise between the pinions, and

slipping a spacing ring on each pinion after each disc has been put in place. The pinions in the construction referred to extend between the faces of the bearings for the shafts, and, therefore, the

collars cannot be'removed from the pinions except by removing the shafts from the bearings by moving the shafts endwise through the pinions and bearings. The time and labor required to change discs in sucha 100m make the cm wholly impractical, except for the production of fabrics having a fixed number of warp yarns, In other prior constructions, the shedding discs have been mounted between rods having spacing discs thereon, which extend between adjacent shedding discs, and those constructions are complicated and do not provide for easy addition or removal of shedding discs. The present invention is directed to the pro- 10 Claims. (Cl. 139-55) vision of a novel shedding disc assembly for use in disc looms, which is superior to prior constructions, in that it is less complicated and, in its preferred form, permits changes in the number of discs by simple adjustments of parts of the mechanism. In the new assembly, the discs are provided with peripheral teeth and are mounted between upper and lower shafts having pinions, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth on the discs. Th discs are kept separated by a number of means, each of which includes a fixed mounting and a plurality of bars at-. tached thereto and extending between adjacent discs. One such means may take the form of a reed, such as is commonly used in looms, the reed being so mounted that its bars extend generally horizontally and lie between adjacent discs.

The other means may then take the form of combs having teeth which extend intothe spaces reference may .be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, with parts broken away, of a loom equipped with the new disc assembly and also a creel, from which the warp yarns are supplied to the loom;

Fig. 2 is a view of the disc assembly in rear elevation with parts broken away; I

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4 is an'end elevational view with parts shown in section of a drive for the disc shafts;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on' the line 5-5 of Fig. 6 showing a difierent type of drive for the discs;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view with parts broken away showing the structure illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig, 7 is a sectional view showing .a portion of one of the standards on which the shaft bearings are mounted:

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 9, showing a modified construction; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig.8. 1

In Fig. l, the new disc assembly, generally designated III. is shown mounted in a loom gentinuation-in-part. The loom includes the usual 7 cam shaft H, which is connected to the crank.-

shaft i2 and is aiso' connected oy gearing to shaft l8 which is connected by a chain i9 to shaft 20 in a creel structure, generaly designated 2|.

Within the creel are a plurality of shafts 23, on each of which are mounted supports which carry four yarn packages 26. Shafts 23 are driven from, shaft 20 by a chain 25, and the creel is provided with suitable yarn guides 26 and 2]. As each shaft 23 is rotated in unison with discs IS, the warp yarns from the packagesM rotated by each shaft 23 are twisted together into cables 28, each cable containing four strands of warp yarn. From the guides 21, the cables pass to guide 29, and thence through means, generally designated 3ll,-for applying drag to the cables. The drag applying means may be of the construction shown in my copending application Serial No. 591,265, filed May 1, 1945.

Each disc has four openings use for the pas-- construction shown, the upper bolts 53 o'fbearings sage of warp yarns, and as the discs are continually rotated in one direction, the yarns are twisted together. The twist runs in both directions from the discs, and the back twist is just sufiicient to counteract the twist imparted to the yarns in cables 28 by the rotation of shafts 23. Beyond the discs, the twist runs forward, so that the four yarns issuing from each disc are again twisted. into a cable with the picks of filling passing between the strands in the cable. The fabric produced in the loom passes over rolls 31, 32, 33, and 3d, to a driven take-up roll 35, and the pull of the take-up roll on the warp yarns against the resistance of the drag applying device 36, insures that all the yarns will be under equal tension at the weaving point.

l 4 I construction shown in Figs. 2, and 3, three such spacing means are employed, and the lower spacdevice may take the form' of a conventional reed 50 consisting of a rectangular frame 5| and thin bars 52 anchored at opposite. ends in the frame. The reed can be held in position in any desired way between standards 40,, and in the 39 are threaded into openingsin the'end members of the reed. The reed is disposed close to the lower shaft 31, so that its bars 52 lie outside the circle described by openings "5a in the discs as the latter rotate.

The discs may be kept separated at the top by another reed similar to reed 50, but since such a reed would have to be raised to clear the discs, when changes in the number of discs are to be made, it is preferable to keep the discs separated at the top by means of a pair of combs, each of which consists of a back 54 and a plurality of teeth 55. Such a comb may be made by cutting readily placed in position after shaft 36 has'been raised. Since shafts 36, 31 are rotated in unison and the discs are positively driven by the engagement of their peripheral teeth with the teeth'on pinions 46, 66, the discs rotate with the shafts and cannot move laterally from between the shafts. In the insertion of the discs, each disc is placed in a dent in reed 59 and lies between pairs of adjacent teeth on the two combs.

The discs i6 are mounted between an upper shaft 36 and. a lower shaft 31 supported for rotation in bearings 38, 39 carried by standards forming upward extensions from the loom sides. Shaft 36 carries a sprocket wheel 4i at one end, which is connected to sprocket wheel 42 on shaft 37 by a chain 63. Chain 63 is trained about a sprocket wheel M on crankshaft l2, and the shafts 36, 37 are, accordingly, driven in unison by the crankshaft throughout the operation of the loom.

Long pinions 45, 46 are mounted on shafts 36, 31, respectively, and each disc is formed with peripheral teeth i6b, which mesh with the teeth of the pinions. Bearings 38 for the upper shaft 36 are secured to standards 40 by bolts 61 passing through elongated slots 48 in the standards, and shaft 36 also passes through elongated openings 49 in the standards. With this arrangement, shaft 36 can be raised relative to shaft 31 by disconnection of chain 43 and the loosening of'the nuts on bolts 47. By thus separating the shafts, the discs can readily be inserted between shafts 36, 37 or removed.

In the construction described, the upper shaft 36 is movable relatively to lower shaft 31, in order that the discs may be inserted and removed.

With that arrangement, reed 50is disposed above and close to shaft 37 and the combs lie on opposite sides of shaft 36.- The entire arrangement,

however, maybe reversed with shaft 31 made movable and shaft 36 mounted in fixed bearings. In such a construction, reed 50 will be mounted near the fixed shaft. The arrangement illustrated, however, is preferred and is the more convenient.

The construction shown inFigs. 5 and 6 is the same as that shown in the preceding figures,

wheel 59 which is connected; by chain to a sprocket wheel 6i on shaft 62' carrying oppositely disposed ratchet wheels 63, 6d. The ratchet wheels are actuated by a bar 65 provided with pins 66,

67 and operated by suitable means, such as are shown in my copending applications, Serial No.

551,830, filed August 30, 1944, and Serial 'No. 591,266, filed May 1, 1945. Shaft 62 is rotated by bar 65 and the ratchet wheels first in one direction and then in the other. throughout the operation of the loom. The discs are similarly rotated, first in one direction and then the other, and with this arrangement, it is not necessary to twist together, in a preliminary operation, the

groups of warp yarns manipulated by the respective discs. 1 In Figs. 8 and 9, there is disclosed another form of disc mounting, in which the discs 68 formed in n lyin between adjacent discs. In the 7 with peripheral teeth 68a lie between upper and I lower shafts 89, 10, respectively, withtheir teeth between the shafts with their teeth meshing'with meshing with the teeth of plnions H, II on the those of the pinions, and a plurality of means respective shafts. I for keeping the discs separated, each means in- The shafts run in bearings 13 in end plates eluding a fixed mounting and a plurality of bars l4, 15 closing the ends of upper and lower chanattached thereto and extending between adjanel members 16, 11, respectively. The channel cent discs, the bars of at least one set extending members are mounted between vertical supports across the discs adjacent one shaft and being 18 attached in pairs to the loom frame at opposupported by their mounting at both ends. site sides thereof. Shaft 68 carries a bevel gear 4. In a disc loom, the combination of upper and 19 meshing with a similar gear 80 on a vertical l0 lowershafts operatively connected for rotation shaft 8i, and shaft 81 carries a bevel gear 82 inunison, pinions fast on the shafts, a p almeshing'withasimilar gear on shaft 10. Shaft ity of discs having peripheral teeth, the discs I0 is provided with a sprocket wheel 84, by which lying between the shafts with their teeth meshthe shaft can be driven from the loom cranking with those of the pini n reed mounted shaft bya chain. 1 v at one side of the axis of rotation of the discs The discs 68 are kept separate by upper and with its teeth lying between adjacent discs and lower spacing means, each of which includes a keeping them separated, and means lying at the plurality of horizontal bars 85 extending transppo i e d of t ax f r n f th discs versely of the axis of rotation of the discs. The for keeping them separated and including a comb I bars may be mounted in any desired way, and in 20 having teeth lying between the discs. the construction illustrated, the bars are formed n disc 1 he combination f a pair of by slotting the horizontal webs of channel memspaced ta dards, an up r shaft mounted in verbers 16, If. The bars extend across the faces of ea y adjustable hearings in the standards, a the discs 68 near the shafts 59, In, nd lie tlower shaft mounted in bearings in the standside the circle defined by openings 68b in the ards, means conheetincthe shafts o cause t e discs.

While the arrangement shown in Figs, 3 d 9 rality of discs between the shaftathe discs havprovides a simple structure, in which the discs ing peripheral teeth meshing w th t e teeth of are mounted in properly spaced relation and the p and a plurality means for pdriven in unison, changes in the number of discs g the discs Separated, each means i udin require removal of the upper member 16 from a mounting and a plurality of bars attached to between vertical supports 18. The construction the mounting and extending between adjacent. is, therefore, less desirable in some respects than discsto rotate in unison, a pinion on each shaft, a plu- I those shown in the other figures of the draw- In a i 1 thev combination of pp j lugs. and lower shafts mounted for rotation and op- In the foregoing, the loom has been illustrated eratively connected to rotate in unison, pinions and described as equipped with discs having four fast on the shafts, a plurality of discs between openings, so that each disc handles four yarns t e s ts, t discs v g Pe p eral teeth or multiples of four yarns. It is to be understood meshing h e teeth of the P11110115 and a D that the discs may have other numbers of openrality of openings lying equidistant from the axis ings, if desired, in which case, the creel, if one is of rotation of the discs, an a p ra y of means used, will be constructed to provide for rotating for k ping' discs separated, eh means ingroups of supplies of yarns, each group containing eluding a mounting and a plurality of bars atas many yarns as are supplied to openings in each tached to the mounting and extending between disc. adjacent discs, the bars' lying wholly outside the Iclaim: circles defined by the openings in the discs as 1. In a disc loom, the combination of upper and the discs rotate.

lower shafts operatively connected for rotation n a c 100m. e co a n f pp in unison, pinions fast on th hafts, a, lurality lower shafts mounted for rotation and operatively of discs having peripheral teeth, the discs lying connected to rotate in unison, pinions fast on the between the shafts with their teeth meshing with shafts, a plurality f di bet t e s a he those of the pinions, and a plurality of means discs having peripheral teeth meshing with the for keeping the discs separated, each means inteeth of the pin s an 'nlura ty f p nin s eluding a fixed mounting and a plurality of bars y g equidistant from the a f ati O th attached thereto and extending between adjadiscs, and a plurality of means for keeping the cent discs, the bars of at least one set extending discs separated. each means including a mountacross the discs adjacent one shaft. 7 ing and a plurality of bars attached to the 2. In a disc loom, the combination of a pair of mo t and extending between adjacent discs, standards, upper and lower shafts mounted for the bars lying wholly outside the circles defined by rotation in the standards and operatively conthe openin in the discs as h discs rotate. nected for rotation in unison, pinions fast on 8. In a disc loom, the combination of a pair of the shafts, a plurality of discs having peripheral spaced standards, upper and lower shafts mountteeth, the discs lying between the shafts with their ed for rotation in the standards and connected teeth meshing with those of the pinions, and a together for rotation in unison, a cross bar conplurality of ineans for keeping the discs sepnecting the standards above the upper shaft,

arated, each means. including a fixed mounting pinions on the shafts, a plurality of discs besupported by the standards and extending lengthtween the shafts, the discs having peripheral wise of the shafts and a plurality of bars attached teeth meshing with the teeth of the pinions, a to the mounting and extending between adjacent rectangular frame mounted between the standdiscs, the bars of at least one set extending across ards and lying between the shafts adjacent one the discs adjacent one shaft. shaft, a plurality of bars connecting opposite 3. In a disc loomgthe combination of upper and members of the frame and extending transversely lower shafts operatively connected for rotation of the shafts, the bars lying between adjacent in unison, pinions fast on the shafts, a plurality discs to keep them separated, and two sets of of discs having peripheral teeth, the discs lying v spaced elements mounted on the cross bar on opacrassa posite sides of the axis of rotation of the discs.

- said elements extending between adjacent discs to keep them separated.

9. In a disc loom, the combination of a pair of spaced standards, upper and lower shafts mounted for rotation in the standards and connected together for rotation in unison, a cross bar connecting the standards above the upper shaft,

, pinions on the shafts, a plurality of discs be tween the shafts, the discs having peripheral teeth meshing with the teeth of thepinlons, 9. rectangular frame mounted between the standards and lying between the shafts adjacent one shaft,

' a plurality of bars connecting opposite members or the frame and extending transversely of the shafts, the bars lying between adjacent discs to keep them separated, and a pair of combs secured to the cross bar on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the discs, the teeth of the combs ex tending between adjacent discs to keep them'sepl arated.

a 10. In a disc loom, the combination of a pairor spaced standards, upper and lower shafts mounted for rotation in the standards and connected together for rotation in unison, a cross bar connecting the standards above the upper 

